A small alexandrite

[Marlow]

Bought a little ( 0,57 ct ) brazilian alexandrite from Gemline (Litnon). 4mm x 4mm 3,8 mm.
Excellent clarity, good color change but the cut - the rough was def. large enough to cut a 4x4 princess for example.

But I like it...

http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=10060
The vendor picture showed a much darker stone.

Daylight



Incandescent light



I played a bit with my dichroscope..

 

[LoversKites]

I've seen it multiple times on Litnon's website. Its a cute, attractive stone imo despite the cut, so congrats.

 

[Marlow]

Hi!

Still alive!!

Yes - a cute stone. The price was very good. But if you want to set it you need to recut the pavillion. A Princess would be perfect but it would be a waste of material.

 

[lilmosun]

Ah..what could've been But I really like it...it's twice the size of any of my color change stones I'd still set it just so I could look at it all day/night...can overlook a lot when it comes to a good color change stone.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I like it too and have visited it more than once at the Litnon site.

 

[Lovinggems]

Can you set it upside down?

 

[Acinom]

What a great color change. I hope you will set it despite the cut to enjoy it even more.

 

[LD]

Mmmmmm the vendor's photos are very misleading Also, this looks like Indian material, not Brazilian. Did it come with a lab report Marlow?

I had a 1ct princess cut but I sold it because I didn't feel it did justice to the colour change unfortunately (in my stone that is).

I very much like the idea of setting it upside down (like a scribbler ring) and I'd be tempted to do this. At the size it is, I'm not convinced a recut of the pavilion would help much and it'd also reduce the weight.

What are your plans for it?

 

[Marlow]

Mmmmmm the vendor's photos are very misleading Also, this looks like Indian material, not Brazilian. Did it come with a lab report Marlow?

I had a 1ct princess cut but I sold it because I didn't feel it did justice to the colour change unfortunately (in my stone that is).

I very much like the idea of setting it upside down (like a scribbler ring) and I'd be tempted to do this. At the size it is, I'm not convinced a recut of the pavilion would help much and it'd also reduce the weight.

What are your plans for it?

Yes - they are misleading (much darker in the pics). But no problem for me. The blue color you see in halogen light.

No lab report but I will ask Dr. Schmetzer - I will get another alex in St. Marie in a few days ( 98% - I have to check it again - esp. the daylight color) and have also some taaffeite so I will ask him to take them if he has enough material for LA-ICP-MS. Indian alex has a very low Sn content and Hematita a very high. The alex from St. Marie will be a quite clean stone with a very good CC from Russia - small but with a very high quality - and of course I want to know whether this really a russian ( Malysheva mine) stone.

The Litnon alex is extremely clean - I cannot see the very fine parallel stripes you often see in indian stones. The clarity, daylight color and the color change speak for an indian stone or lighter brazilian - we will see.

Recutting would be no good idea. And I will keep it unset.